Lesser Of Two Evils
by Thought
Summary: In a future where the Mutant Registration Act has been passed, people will do anything to survive. Ch6! Logan and Sabertooth go to see Hank...
1. Old Friends and New Enimies

Lesser Of Two Evils  
  
By: Thought  
  
Summary: Movieverse. In a dark future world where the Mutant Registration act has been passed, people will do anything to survive. (Storm, Sabertooth, Wolverine)  
  
A/N: The title doesn't really fit, but I have a twisted sense of logic, so let's say it does. Well, you know how you get an idea that just refuses to go away until you write it? .well that's exactly what this is. If people really hate it, I'll take it down.  
  
***  
  
Logan walked from the hotel bar with a deep scowl on his rugged features. He was living in Washington, secretly selling fake Ids to those mutants wanting to leave the country.for a price, of course. That was how it was now, everything had a price. He had just finished a deal with the shape-shifter Mystique, getting her passage to Europe, where mutants weren't so despised. He hadn't enjoyed helping the blue-skinned woman, but teams such as the X-Men and Brotherhood had disbanded a few years ago, and one couldn't afford to be prejudice.  
  
He made his way up to the hotel room he had been using as a base of operations for the last few weeks. The halls of the old, rundown hotel were quiet, and smelled musty. The carpet was torn and the walls were water- stained and moldy. Many of the light bulbs had burned out a long time ago, leaving the few remaining bulbs to cast a dim lighting on the grimy interior. He pulled out his room key and slid the card into the slot on the door. As soon as he entered, he knew someone was in the room with him. He tensed, popping out his claws. A soft gasp revealed the other occupant of the room to him. She was tall, with long white hair and cat-like blue eyes. She wore a long, black cloak with a form-fitting body suit underneath.  
  
"Ororo?" he asked in shock. He had thought her dead along with the rest of the X-Men when Xavier's School had been bombed. He wondered what it must be like for her, being constantly hunted and attacked. From what he had guessed about the woman from his short stays at Xavier's, she had lived her entire life at the school, and had never known the harsh world outside of its walls. He moved over to her, retracting his claws.  
  
"Are you ok, Ro?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. I am fine, Logan." She said. He didn't believe her one bit, but decided to play along for now.  
  
"How have you been?" he asked, guiding her to sit on the bed.  
  
"Well..." she shivered. "I have been fine, Logan, and yourself?"  
  
He shrugged. "I'm doin' ok. What do ya think about all this Mutant Registration stuff? Had any major problems?" He was fishing now, and he knew it.  
  
"It's, it's," she bit her lip, and seemed to be searching for the  
right words. Finally, she turned to him, tears glistening in her eyes.  
"Oh.....Logan...it's horrible! I saw all of my friends die.and mean  
men are out to get us.I'm scared."  
  
He hugged her tightly, feeling a desperate want to help this poor, lonely woman. He was about to ask her to stay with him when the door was knocked violently open. He realized that he had forgotten to lock it. He jumped to his feet, pushing Ororo behind him and popping out his claws. In the doorway stood a man he had not seen for a long time.  
  
"Sabertooth." He growled, taking up a defensive posture.  
  
"Wolverine." The large man's growl was just as apparent.  
  
"What do ya want?" demanded Logan.  
  
"My business ain't with you, it's with her." He pointed one clawed hand at Ororo.  
  
Logan felt a rush of anger boil up inside of him, but before he could say anything, Ororo stepped out from behind him, a perfectly calm expression on her face.  
  
"Ororo!" exclaimed Logan, trying to push her back.  
  
She brushed off his hands and faced Sabertooth. "Do you have the money, Vic?" she asked coolly.  
  
"That depends, Ro, do you have the papers?"  
  
"I might." She tilted her head to one side, eyes sparkling, "Give me the money and you'll find out."  
  
Sabertooth sneered at her. "You really don't expect me to fall for that, do you, Goddess?"  
  
"No, but I think you need the papers more than I need the money."  
  
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Logan, "What papers?"  
  
"Why, the ones she stole from your room, of course." Smiled Sabertooth, "Or did he walk in on you before you could get them?"  
  
"I have them." She smiled, "But I want my money first."  
  
Sabertooth moved with the grace of a cat, roughly grabbing her by the throat. "Fine." He snarled, "I'll give you the money, and if you don't give me the papers, than I kill you."  
  
"And how do I know that you won't kill me anyway?"  
  
He grinned wickedly. "You don't."  
  
She held out her open palm. "Give me the money."  
  
He reached into his coat with a free hand and pulled out a stack of bills. He dropped them into her hand.  
  
"Now, the papers." He hissed.  
  
"Of course." there was a sudden flash of red, and then something impacted with Sabertooth's back, exploding on impact. Sabertooth fell back, releasing his hold on Storm. With a lightning fast movement, she leapt away from him and was out the open window within seconds. Another object flew at Logan, and he saw that it was a playing card, just before he blacked out.  
  
*^*^*^ 


	2. The Goddess and The Devil

Lesser Of Two Evils Chapter Two: "The Goddess And The Devil"  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men. Shocker, huh?  
  
A/N: Well, this was a one shot. It really was. But apparently my amazing reviewers didn't agree with me there, so I present.Chapter Two! Oh, and if you think that anyone is slightly OOC, please remember that this is not comicverse, and that also people would have to change to survive after the MRA was passed. But, anyway, like I said, I had not intended to make this into a chapter story, so please don't hurt me if this thing devolves into a horrible piece of writing. And a big thanks to all of my reviewers!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
-----  
  
Logan awoke with what felt like the mother of all hangovers. His head was pounding, his body ached and his mind hazy. He groaned, and tried to sit up, promptly falling back to the floor as a stabbing pain shot up his left side. The carpet of the hotel room had once been a pure white, but after decades of use, it had transformed into a rather revolting shade of gray. He looked up at the window across from him and saw that it was still dark out. The small, battered clock on the night table read 1:00 AM.  
  
'Oh.God.' he thought as the events of a few hours previously came flooding back to him. He had just wanted to help her, but instead of accepting assistance, Storm had run off with out a backwards glance, leaving him unconscious in the process.  
  
A groan from the other side of the room drew his attention away from his anger at the white haired woman. He glanced over at the other occupant of the room. Victor Creed. A low growl rumbled from his throat as the other man glared venomously at him. Logan forced himself to his feet, surprised that his heeling factor hadn't yet removed the pain from his side. Using the bed for balance, he made his way over to stand over the prostrate form of Sabertooth.  
  
"Get up, Creed." He snarled, roughly hauling the larger man to his feet.  
  
"Damnit, Wolverine, watch it!" exclaimed Sabertooth, stepping out of Logan's grasp. Apparently his heeling factor had not yet gotten rid of the pain for him, either.  
  
"I wanna know what happened." Stated Logan bluntly, "I have a feeling you know a little more than me, so start talkin'."  
  
"Well, you already know that Munroe stole all of the fake I.Ds that you've worked so hard to obtain. If you're wondering about the explosions, that would be the Cajun."  
  
Logan's eyebrows arched. "Who?"  
  
"You're really out of the loop, aren't ya?" sneered Sabertooth "Ororo Munroe and her friend, Remy Lebeau, run an organization of Mutant.I guess the best name for them would be freedom fighters, who seem to have their little fingers in every kind of Mutant related illegal pies around. Some, but not all of which include, an underground railway for Mutants who wanna leave the country, but don't have enough money, a specially trained Mutant combat team and alliances with the very few Mutant supporters left in the government. These people are the main force behind the Mutant rebellion. And that's not even taking into account that they have almost complete control of both Worthington *and* Frost International."  
  
Logan whistled through his teeth, "That's a hell of a lot of power for one organization to possess."  
  
Sabertooth nodded. "Makes you glad they're on our side, doesn't it?"  
  
Logan snorted derisively. "We've already got the government against us, I can't see what'd be worse then that." Creed shrugged. Something was still bothering Logan, however. "Somehow, I never thought of Ororo to be the kind of person to get involved in something like that."  
  
Creed echoed Logan's earlier snort. "Like I said before, she's one of the founding members. Believe me, that woman had her share of secrets, even when she was with Xavier's little hero team. Now that she doesn't have their morals and "do no harm" attitudes to hold her back."he let the sentence trail off, leaving Logan to contemplate exactly how much he didn't know about Ororo.  
  
After a few moments of silence between the two enemies turned reluctant allies, Sabertooth muttered darkly, "The Goddess and The Devil."  
  
Logan's eyes shot back up to meet those of Creed, "What?"  
  
"That's what they call themselves. Munroe and Lebow, I mean. The Goddess and The Devil."  
  
A/N; I know, short, but I do have another chapter written, but it's on my braillelite (Braille laptop), which can't be hooked up to the internet, so I have to type it up, which takes a very, very long time. But it'll be up eventually!  
  
*Thought* 


	3. Frostbight

Lesser Of Two Evils Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer: OOO, guess what?! I. Do. Not. Own. X-Men!!!!!  
  
A/N: Wow, people actually reviewed this!!! I shall keep going with the story, although updates might come a little farther apart, as I do, unfortunately, have to deal with real life, which, even more unfortunately, includes school. Hope you like the chapter, even though it's short!!!  
  
Shout Outs  
  
Guin: Yep, I've always wanted to write Storm a little darker. And as for the Lebeau thing.I honestly don't know how I messed that up! I even take French!!! I re-uploaded the last chapter, with that fixed.  
  
Sydney Miller: Thanks! Braillelites are nice to have, as you can play games when in classes, and the teacher doesn't notice. Lol  
  
Mackenzie A: Thank you! I'll try to post more ASAP!  
  
Aceswild: Wow, another Ro/Rem fan!!! Yay! Hehe, yeah, Logan and Sabertooth should be interesting. As for The Goddess and the Devil thing, I just sort of thought of that, and then I'm just like, 'And why, hasn't anyone done that before?' Glad you like it!!!  
  
Crystal113: Thanks for the praise, and as for your questions, you'll just have to keep reading.  
  
If there's anyone I missed, I'm really sorry, and thanks!!!!  
  
Emma Frost was not a woman to show weakness. She felt no pity for those not intelligent enough to keep themselves alive. Her heart went out only to those deserving of her compassion, and even then, only if her circumstances were right. It was, therefore, not surprising that she felt nothing but disgust with the little man huddled in the leather chair across the desk from her in her spacious office at Frost International's headquarters.  
  
"Please, Miss Frost." the man pleaded, ringing his hands desperately, "Six hundred dollars is all I ask.hardly a concern for someone with so much wealth as yourself."  
  
With a sigh, she rose from her chair and moved to the side of the desk at which her uninvited guest huddled in his torn and dirty coat, looking up at her with moist eyes. "As I remember, Toad, we have just been over this. I will not give you the money. The only thing I can offer is either protection at our safe house, or passage out of the country. And I am beginning to dismiss those options as well."  
  
Toad shrunk back farther into his chair, licking his lips with the tip of his long tongue. "But Emma! Surely we can at least talk.I really gotta get this money.please.if I don't, I could be a dead man by next week!" his voice had risen an octave, and was now wavering and pitiful, and to the White Queen, nothing short of annoying.  
  
"Somehow, the thought of you being dead does not invoke altogether remorseful feelings in my heart," She said coolly. "And even if I were, hypothetically, to give you the money, what, then, would you proceed to do with it? Buy some new clothing, perhaps? Or maybe shelter? No," she mock thought, "The simple things such as clothing or food would not bring you shaking and quivering like the spineless creature that you are, to my office in the middle of the night, asking for money. Now, if I were to make a wild guess at your situation, I'd say you got wrapped up with the wrong crowd, pissed one of them off, and now you need six hundred dollars to clear your name." She lifted her fur coat from its place hanging behind the door, turning her back on Toad to put it on.  
  
From behind her, she heard a sniffle that sounded suspiciously like a sob. Was the man actually crying?! She turned on him, a cold hardness in her eyes. "Out." She ordered, "Now." He looked up at her, on the brink of tears. She didn't let him speak. "If you don't vacate this office within the next ten seconds, you won't have the mind to worry about what someone might do to your body." That shut him up fast. It also succeeded in removing him from her sight.  
  
Glancing at the clock on her desk, she estimated that, if they had been successful in their mission, Storm and Gambit should have returned to Resistance HQ by now. As if to confirm her guess, there was a polite knocking on her door. "Come in, Archangel." She called. The wooden door swung open, and Warren Worthington III entered the office, blond hair tousled from the wind of the outdoors.  
  
"Hi, Emma." He greeted her, "I have good news."  
  
"Storm and Gambit got the papers." Emma finished for him, a smile tugging at her lips. Warren nodded, not trying to hide his grin of happiness.  
  
"Yeah, they came away without a scratch." The winged man nodded.  
  
"Excellent," said Emma, "Monet and Jubilee can leave the country as soon as we can book the flights, then."  
  
Warren nodded. "I'll be sad to see them go." He admitted, "Jubilee was really starting to fit in as one of the group."  
  
"It's for their own good, you know that." She chided gently. The truth was that she would probably be one of, if not the most sad to see the two young women go. She had taken them under her wing, teaching them all they needed to know about life, (even learning a few pointers from Jubilee along the way). Her relationship with them was not unlike that of a mother and her daughters.  
  
"You have told them, right?" asked Warren.  
  
Emma didn't respond, suddenly finding her well-manicured fingernails fascinating. She could almost feel Warren's disapproving look upon her, and it was not a nice feeling. Finally, she lifted her eyes to lock with his; blue meeting blue. "I'll tell them tonight." She promised.  
  
"You should have told them a while ago." He said gently, "They might have adjusted to the idea by now, if you had."  
  
"I know that." Emma snapped, becoming defensive.  
  
Warren backed down. "It's almost 02:00. You intending to stay here all night?"  
  
"No." she sighed, "I'm assuming you flew here?"  
  
Warren nodded. "It's not that far to HQ, I can fly you back with me."  
  
She shook her head, "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." The truth was, flying always made her a little nervous. She wanted the tested and proven machinery of an aircraft supporting her, not a simple man, with all the same weaknesses of a normal man. "Just because you have wings, that does not make you God." She had once heard Cecelia say to Warren, and she tended to agree. Of course, Warren, being the oblivious male, and always wishing to be gallant to win a lady's favor, smiled, told her it would be no inconvenience at all, and scooped her up into his arms and flew from the office window.  
  
A/N: Well? I like reviews! Oh, and although this story does not focus on romance, (hence the categorization), I would like to know of any pairings you, as the readers, would like to see. This is not an absolute guarantee that this pairing will appear in the story, but I do like to get the readers input on my stories. Any ideas for this story at all are greatly longed for! If not in the review box, contact me  
  
Thanks for reading!!!  
  
*Thought* 


	4. Conflicts With Jubilee

Lesser Of Two Evils  
  
By: Thought  
  
A/N: I'm sorry! I really tried to get this out earlier. I couldn't think of anything to do with this story!!! I still can't.  
  
Sky Queen: grrrr! I will make you like X-Men! Hehe, and I really doubt I'll put 'Enter Gambit' up here, cause it's a piece of crap., And that .scene.um.yeah.anyway! But you can't make me put 'Enter Gambit' up! The plot sucks!  
  
Sydney Miller: Yeah, I like Emma. Thanks!  
  
Aceswild: Thank you! Ro/Rem forever! Anyway, thanks for the pairings, their basically what I had planned, excepting that Scott, Jean, Rogue and Bobby are dead in this story, like Logan states in Chapter One.  
  
Zeelee: You like my characterization? Wow! Thanks! And yep, I am hoping to take equal time with all chars, so Emma will get her turn.  
  
Guin: Yeah, I couldn't resist sticking Toad in there. Emma Frost is a character from the comics. She is a telepath, has lots of money and her codename is 'The White Queen'. And as for replying to ur review, no problem! I find it fun.  
  
Crystal113: Um.Warren only flies at night, and he is very careful. Hehe.I guess that was a little bit of an oversight on my part. Frost is a telepath. And thanks for reviewing my other fic!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Betsy Braddock glanced up from her computer terminal as two figures made their way into the central command area of the underground complex which housed the Mutant Resistance's main headquarters. She grinned to herself when she saw the large brown envelope held in the man's left hand, his right resting lightly on the small of the woman's back. They were talking in low voices, and as they approached she only caught the words "Sabertooth", "long time ago", "too close" and "fun". Rising to her feet she greeted the leaders of the organization.  
  
"Rem, 'Ro. You got the stuff, I see."  
  
Ororo Munroe looked up and smiled slightly. "Yes, Psylocke. And with no casualties."  
  
"Well." Remy Lebeau cut in. "I did knock dem both unconscious."  
  
"But no one was killed." Ororo finished firmly. She snatched the envelope from Remy's hand and dumped its contents onto Betsy's workstation. Four passports, complete with I.D. and a small amount of money.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Betsy exclaimed, grabbing one of the little packages and rifling though it, "Whoever made these was a professional. All you need is a photo of whoever you're giving them to, and you've got yourself a whole new identification."  
  
"I.D.s aren't *that* hard to make, Elizabeth." Stated Ororo. "It is acquiring the right people to make them that poses the difficulty."  
  
"God," muttered Betsy as she dropped the papers back. "We've got two of the largest money-makers in North America on our side, and we can't even get false I.D.s without stealing them." She flopped back in her chair.  
  
"Do you know if Emma has told Jubilation and Monet yet?" Ororo asked of both of them.  
  
"Told me what?" questioned Jubilation Lee, popping up beside Remy.  
  
"About the papers for you and Monet to leave the continent." Replied Betsy casually.  
  
Jubilee stared at her incredulously. "What?!" she demanded, grabbing at one of the passports on the desk and giving it a cursory glance. Dropping it, she spun on Remy and Ororo. "She's not serious, is she?" she demanded.  
  
"Yeah," nodded Remy. "You and da princess'll be leavin' as soon as we can book ya a flight."  
  
Jubilee's eyes flashed angrily. "I'm not goin'." She said firmly, crossing her arms.  
  
"Jubilation, please." Ororo tried to reason with the thirteen-year- old. "It is becoming too dangerous for you to stay. The cruelty which is displayed by passionate anti-Mutant groups should not be forced upon young eyes."  
  
"Fine." Stated Jubilee. "Send Monet. But I am not going. I've seen just as much as you have, 'Roro. As much as any of you. This is everyone's fight, and I'm not leavin', or runnin' chicken." Determination shown in her eyes, and Betsy felt her heart go out to the hardened girl. No, she corrected herself, not a girl. A young woman. Jubilation Lee had seen too much to carry the title of girl, with all the innocents that word seemed to bring to mind. She had been in too many fights to the death, seen too much and done too much to be innocent. It saddened Betsy to no end that the world they lived in could force that maturity on such a young heart. And yet, as the part of her mind that was strictly Psylocke, the resistance fighter, and not Betsy, the person, took over, she knew that they needed all the help they could get in this fight. Jubilee's powers were strong, and unlike many her age, she had complete control over them. She didn't faint at the sight of blood, as Monet did, and it took a lot to scare her. Jubilee was the youngest member of the actual fighting team, and she was more important then any of them would admit.  
  
"C'mon, Jubes," pleaded Remy. "You'll be much safer when you're off da continent."  
  
"I don't know how much clearer I can get." Jubilee said. "I. Am. Not. going!"  
  
It was then that Betsy Braddock decided that she had to take a side in the matter. "Oh just let her stay!" she snapped. "I get the feeling you're not going to be able to change her mind, so why try?"  
  
Jubilee grinned. "Thank you, Betsy!" she stuck her hands in her pockets and looked pointedly at Ororo and Remy. If looks could kill, Betsy figured she'd be dead from the glare Ororo had leveled on her. The purple- haired woman shrugged, grinned back at Jubilee and turned back to her computer.  
  
----____----____  
  
A/N2: There! I actually got this chapter written! And again, I'm sorry this was so late, but I did have exams all of last week, and hardly got on the computer at all. Well, anyway, please tell me what you think! And if it's not too much to ask, could you possibly read my newest story, 'Here With Me'? I worked quite hard on it, and only got one review. *Smiles at Crystal113*. Anyway, thanks! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon, but no promises. Hehe  
  
*Thought* 


	5. Angel, Queen, Demon

Lesser Of Two Evils  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Disclaimer: ergletyberglety  
  
A/N: I! LIVE! I am soooooo sorry for leaving this story for so long! I promise I'll try to update more frequently from now on!  
  
Shout Outs:  
  
S.Q: Thank you muchly!  
  
Guin: Thanks, here you go! Sorry for the wait!  
  
Aceswild: She is, isn't she? Thanks for the praise.  
  
AnnaSun: Here you go, another update!  
  
Crystal113: Thanks! Ok, more Logan soon, promise!  
  
Emma could feel her stomach fighting for dominance in her throat. The cityscape flew by far below her, with nothing but Warren's strong arms wrapped around her for protection. She tightened her grip on his arms, trying to keep her breathing under control. It wouldn't due for the White Queen to lose her cool over such a thing as a simple flight. Closing her eyes, she focused on taking in one deep breath after another, modulating her breathing to her heartbeat.  
  
"Hold on," Warren's cultured voice murmured in her ear, and suddenly, she had the dizzying sensation of falling, headfirst, towards the pavement. Taking in a sharp breath, she clung to him, momentarily forgetting her pride in favor of fear. When they landed on the roof of a fast food restaurant, she could hardly stand up.  
  
Spinning on the winged man, she set her most deadly glare on him. "May I ask what the hell you think you are doing? We could have been seen! It's bad enough that you flew half way across town to get to my office, now you have to plunge from the skies like some dive-bomber?! How irresponsible can one person be?!"  
  
"Shh!" he hissed, placing a hand over her mouth. She swatted it away, but remained silent. It was then that she heard the voices.  
  
"...It's way too dangerous! We're going to get killed!" said a female voice.  
  
"It's not like ve have a choice, is it?" retorted a soft man's voice.  
  
"With the Mutant Supressors, it's way too dangerous to just go strolling in there, Kurt!" the woman snapped.  
  
"Carol..." the man sounded pleading. "We need zhis money, and zhe only way of getting it is to steel it! I don't like it either, but zhere's no other vay!"  
  
"There's gotta be! You're a God-Believing man, Wagner, you've got to have some kind of moral against robbing?!" the woman sounded frantic.  
  
"Carol..." the man's voice was pained. "Zhere is not a day zhat goes by in vhich I do not vish zhat zhere vas another vay to survive, but you and I both know just how crewel zhe world can be!"  
  
"Yeah, maybe to somebody like you, I mean, look at you!" her voice trembled with long suppressed anger. "But you know what, Kurt? I can live just fine in society and pretend that I'm not a Mutant! I don't have to use my super-strength or fly around, I can be a normal person!"  
  
"Zhen vhy haven't you left long before zhis?" the man, Kurt asked.  
  
"Because I had some kind of...pity for you! I wanted to help you! But now I see just what a wasted effort that was!"  
  
"Carol..." Kurt's voice was hurt.  
  
"I'm leaving, Kurt. Hope that you never see me again, for your sake."  
  
"Carol, wait! The Supressors! No! Don't.....Mein Gott! Carol!"  
  
As one, the two Mutants moved towards the man's distraught cries, and soon came across him, huddled against a vent, tears sliding down his blue- skinned cheeks. Tattoos covered his dark skin, and, looking closer, Emma saw that he had a tail, and only three fingers on both hands.  
  
"Hey...Sir?" Warren stood over the man. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Oh....God...please, just leave..." the man muttered, his thick German accent muffling his words.  
  
"We're not going to hurt you," Warren said soothingly, crouching down in front of the man. "We're Mutants, too. It's ok. You're safe, now."  
  
"I.... I... Why?! I don't believe you! All out to hurt me..." the man's words drifted into a low muttering, incomprehensible to everyone accepting himself. Warren carefully reached out, taking the man by the hands and speaking in a soothing voice to him. Discreetly, he signaled Emma, mouthing for her to go contact one of the others, and tell them to bring a car. Emma moved away from the two, standing at the edge of the roof.  
  
Cecilia?she sent.  
  
The young doctor responded at once. What is it, Emma? Where are you?  
  
On the roof of a Dairy Queen, in the East of the city. I'll send you a mental map, if you can come pick us up?  
  
Cecilia's confusion came through clearly. Us? Who's with you?  
  
archangel, as well as a new Mutant we just met. Hurry, Cecilia.  
  
Right.The mental communication ended, and Emma stood silently at the edge of the roof, looking down on the streets. Far below, she could make out the crumpled figure of a blond woman on the sidewalk, and she shook her head. 'Kurt's little hotheaded friend,' she thought. 'Didn't deserve to live, anyway.'  
  
From behind her, she heard Warren beginning to speak in a regular voice and tone, and she guessed that it was safe to return to the pair behind her. As she approached, she made out the tail end of the conversation between the two Mutants.  
  
"We'd only known each other for a few months," the man was saying. "She vas nothing more zhan a companion and partner. Zhat's all."  
  
"I got us a ride back to HQ," Emma told them brusquely.  
  
"Thank God. It's freezing out here," Warren muttered.  
  
Kurt's golden eyes widened, and he backed away, pressing himself against the vent again. "Who are you people?!" he asked nervously.  
  
"We'll explain everything to you on the way back," Emma told him shortly.  
  
"Back to vhere?!" Kurt demanded.  
  
"To somewhere where you will be safe," Warren assured him. Just then there was the honking of a horn from below.  
  
"There's Cecilia," Emma stated. "I can jump down, Warren, no need to carry me. You will have your hands full with him, anyway."  
  
The man shook his head, still wary, but obviously willing to go along with them for the moment. "I can get down myself," he told Warren. "Vatch." He extended a hand to Emma, pulling her closer when she accepted it. There was a sudden BAMF and the scent of sulfur and brimstone, and there was nothing left of them but a cloud of acrid smoke. Warren blinked once, rubbed his eyes, blinked again, and glared at thin air.  
  
"Why me?!" he asked, lifting off to find the other two.  
  
When he reached the ground, he tucked his wings into his jacket and headed for the little red car, which was one of Cecilia's prides and joys. Arriving at the door, he was shocked to see Emma and Kurt already in the car.  
  
'oooookkkkk....' He thought, and hopped into the passenger seat, folding his wings behind him uncomfortably.  
  
"Hey, Angel man," Cecilia said, pulling out into traffic.  
  
"Hello, Cec," he returned distractedly, focusing more on the two in the backseat. Emma looked a little ruffled, but nonetheless worse for where. Kurt looked fine, playing with his fingers in his lap.  
  
"Mind telling me what that was?" Warren demanded.  
  
"Zhat vas my power," Kurt said quietly. "Teleportation."  
  
"I see..." Warren blinked...again.  
  
The car swerved, and Cecilia cursed angrily. Turning back to the front seat, Warren caught a glimpse of a truck, being driven by a burly, dark-haired man with an odd hairstyle, with a wild blond man in the passenger seat.  
  
"Idiots!" Cecilia snarled. "Can't anyone drive properly anymore?"  
  
"Apparently not," Warren muttered. Leaning his head against the door, he closed his eyes. "Wake me when we get there."  
  
Emma's voice was disdainful. "It takes five minutes to get back to HQ."  
  
"Five minutes of sleep is better than no sleep at all," Warren returned drowsily, and slipped into blackness.  
  
A/N2: Well, there you go! Hope you enjoyed it! Now, I don't deserve them, but please, please review!  
  
Thought 


	6. Stranded

Lesser Of Two Evils  
  
By: Thought  
  
Disclaimer: tra. La. La. La.  
  
A/N: I'm having writer's block, and it's going to last indefinitely. I'm sorry that the chapters are so far apart, but I hope you can forgive me. XD  
  
Chapter Six  
  
The truck smelled of cigar smoke and oil, and the cloth on the seats was torn in more places than could be counted. It jerked randomly whenever Logan pushed too hard on the gas, and made an ungodly screeching sound with the depression of the break pedal. Traffic was awful, even at three in the morning, and Logan kept up a constant stream of cursing as he wove through the other vehicles on the streets. From the passenger seat, Creed was giving directions. After hearing the full explanation of the backbone of the Mutant resistance, Logan had decided he may as well check them out, and find out if there was anything he could do to help them, or, alternately, if there was anything they could do to help him. Sure, working odd jobs and selling the occasional passport got him enough money to get by on, but he didn't want to continue doing the same sort of thing for the rest of his life.  
  
"Turn left at tha next intersection," Sabertooth told him shortly. Logan spun the wheel to avoid a teenaged boy on a motorcycle, and nodded to acknowledge Creed's words. He still hadn't figured out why the other feral was helping him, but for now, he would take any help he could get. Taking the left, he found himself on an impressively well-kept street, overflowing with office complexes and apartment buildings. He whistled between his teeth. "Nice," he commented.  
  
"Too nice if ya ask me," Sabertooth responded. "The whole country's gone ta Hell in a hand basket, and yet these people still get every little luxury they could possibly want jus' because they happen to be the ones in power."  
  
"Life ain't fair," Logan snorted. "This is jus' another example of that. Now, where am I headed?"  
  
"Frost International, fourth on yer right."  
  
Logan pulled up in front of the large office building, and killed the engine. Jumping out of the truck, he slammed his door and headed towards the front doors. Two guards were posted outside the doors, both cradling rifles to their chests. Logan glared at them, but neither one gave an inch.  
  
"What's your business here?" asked the man coldly.  
  
"We're here ta talk to Miss Frost," Creed answered from beside Logan.  
  
"Oh. Of course you are. I'll just let you in, then," the woman sneered.  
  
Logan growled low in his throat. "Look, we're here ta talk to Frost, and we're bloody well gonna talk to her!"  
  
"She's not here," said the man, his face remaining blank. "Why don't you come back in the morning?"  
  
"Or better yet," said the woman in disgust, "Don't come back at all. God only knows what you want with Miss Frost, and I'm not willing to find out. So bugger off before I call the police."  
  
Logan glared at her, but Creed just muttered something unintelligible at the woman, and turned to head back to the truck.  
  
"Go on," the woman made a shooing movement with her hand. "Go away, go away."  
  
"Maybe make an appointment with Miss Frost," suggested the man.  
  
Logan drew in a breath, and spit at the woman's feet before spinning and stalking off.  
  
Jumping back in the truck, he stared at Creed. "Well, that was productive," he commented.  
  
"There's a lot of people I know are linked to the Resistance, relax. We'll find 'em..."  
  
"So, why tha hell are you helping me, anyway, Creed?" asked Logan.  
  
"Simple. I know one of there people, and she owes me big time. I want her to pay up.""  
  
Logan shrugged. "Good enough for me," he said, and started up the motor.  
  
"I think we should try McCoy next," said Creed. "Scientist. Lives over by the university. Brilliant man. Some Resistance ties. Mutant."  
  
"I've heard of him," Logan said, pulling back into traffic. "He's a Mutant?"  
  
"Big, blue and furry. As mutated as you please, but he hides it with one of them fancy image inducer things."  
  
"Well, he'd have the money ta do that," Logan said, disinterested. "And he's Resistance?"  
  
"Ya got a hearin' problem, Wolverine? I jus' said he had some Resistance ties!" Creed looked frustrated.  
  
Logan didn't respond. He spun the car out on to a main road, and sped through a red light, ignoring the honking of other drivers.  
  
"And what makes you so sure we'll have any more luck than we did at Frost's?" asked Logan finally.  
  
"Because he lives alone. No guards, nothing like that. He's a peaceful man, which is exactly why he's not actually Resistance. From what I've heard, he just helps them out with medical shit, that sorta thing."  
  
"And you know where he lives?" asked Logan.  
  
"...The general area," Creed shrugged. The light of a street light through Logan's unimpressed glare into full detail.  
  
They finished the drive to the University area in silence. Luckily, there were only two apartment complexes to choose from. When they scanned over the list at the first, the closest thing they found to an 'H McCoy' was a 'T McCarran'. Moving on to the next building, they were relieved to find McCoy's name on the list. Punching the button beside the name, Logan said, as politely as he could, "Doctor McCoy? My friend and I would like to speak to you about something in one of your papers we just read. We don't understand it, and would like your help." Creed gave him a disbelieving smirk. Logan returned with a one-fingered salute.  
  
"May I ask who you may be?" came a gentle, cultured voice from the small speaker.  
  
"My name is John Bekish, my friend is Carle Rafique. We're students at the University, and very interested in your work." Sabertooth snorted, and tried to hold back his laughter.  
  
"Very well, please come up. As you can see, I am in apartment 242."  
  
"Thanks," Logan said as the doors hummed open. They walked in, past the sleeping desk manager, and into the elevator. It carried them smoothly and silently to the second floor, and they worked their way down the hall to apartment 242. Knocking on the door, Logan snatched a disgusted glance around at the thick red carpet, the oak paneled walls, and the shiny brass numbers on all the doors.  
  
A tall, well-dressed man with brown hair opened the door. He smiled at them, though Logan could sense a hint of underlying suspicion in the way he moved to let them in. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bekish, Mr. Rafique."  
  
"Uh, yeah, Pleasure to meet you too, Doctor," Logan got out. McCoy gave him a decidedly distrustful look, but offered them chairs nonetheless.  
  
"Now," he said, settling into a large armchair, "Exactly which paper was it that you two were having trouble with?"  
  
"Well, that's actually not really why..." Logan began, but he was cut off by the buzz of the intercom. McCoy rose quickly, and walked over to it. Logan could clearly hear the woman's voice on the other end. It was accented, Puerto Rican maybe?  
  
"Hank! You're home! Listen, we need help! The police are after us, let us in, please!"  
  
"Of course, Cecilia, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, but Kurt and Emma aren't!"  
  
"Kurt? Who..."  
  
"No time, Hank! Just open the damned door!"  
  
He pushed down the button quickly, and turned back to Logan and Creed. "I'm afraid this isn't the best time, gentleman, I'm sorry. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow?"  
  
"Look, we're not students. We're Mutants, and we want to know the location of Resistance HQ, or at least talk to someone from the core group," Creed snapped.  
  
McCoy looked taken-a-back. "Uh..." Just then the door flew open, and four people staggered in. A tall, blond man with wings supported a tall blond woman dressed in white. Behind them, another woman was helping some sort of blue creature along, though he looked like he was holding her up as much as she was him. Hank moved forward quickly to assist the blond woman, guiding her to a sofa, where she collapsed. It was only then that Logan saw the blood staining her blond hair.  
  
"Cecilia! My dear, what happened?" asked Hank.  
  
"The police set up a check stop right by HQ, and the four of us were driving back. They stopped us, and caught a look at Kurt, here," she gestured to the blue-skinned man. "They asked for all of our names, and we had to give them to them... They realized that Kurt was an unregistered Mutant, and I guess they'd seen telepaths at work before, 'cause one of them smashed in the back window of my car and hit Emma in the head with his coffee cup before she could do anything. We tried to get away, but they managed to hit me in the arm with a lucky shot, and the glass from the window really cut up Kurt bad. They saw us going in to the apartment complex, I think, so they'll have a phone tap on everybody, and the whole place will be surrounded. And there's no way we can get out with Kurt and Emma both pretty much out of it."  
  
Hank stared at the group in front of him. "You mean that we're stranded here...?" he asked finally.  
  
"Well, there's no way to contact Resistance, and the police aren't going to allow anybody out without a full check, so, yeah, I'd say we're stuck."  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Aceswild: Yes, I did take a long time to update, sorry! Hope you like this chapter, too. As for Carol's death, she was wearing a suppresser color, which blocks Mutant's powers, but forgot about it, and went to fly away, and, well, splat, if you know what I mean?  
  
Healer: This takes place in a universe where X2 didn't happen. I think I forgot to mention that, sorry!!! And as for X-Phoenix, you can go bother Mia about that now, 'cause she's writing chapter ten!!!!  
  
ManniElf18: XD, a fic with out Kurt? The horror! Glad you like the story, and as for the thing about the way he talks, I know he does it sometimes, but to be honest, it bothers the hell out of me, so I only do it once in a while when I'm writing. But good job for noticing!  
  
Crystal113: Well, you'll see, won't you? Hehehe... Thanks for all your reviews! XD 


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